Local police stations copping it with 600 shut due to Tory cuts

Towns across Britain have had their police station axed due to harsh Tory cuts, leaving residents feeling unprotected from crimes such as burglaries and assaults. Over 600 have shut across the country since 2010, and of those that remain, some have closed their front counters where crime victims can walk in and speak to officers in person. Some squeezed forces have had to shut more than half their local stations in the eight years since the Tories came to power with their cruel austerity. The Police Federation, which represents 100,000 rank-and-file officers, said the mass closures have removed a “visible reassurance” for the public. Chief John Apter said: “One has to question the decision to withdraw visible policing from the streets.” Crime victim Paul Kohler, who has campaigned against station closures, said: “The argument from the Government is they are just bricks and mortar, and if you have the technology it doesn’t matter if they are shut down. “This is clearly ridiculous. If you cut, cut and cut, of course it’s going to have an effect.” Gloucestershire Police has closed 21 of 28 stations, leaving many sizeable towns without a dedicated base for officers. In Lancashire, 11 police station front counters have been closed this year, Freedom of Information figures showed. The pattern is the same in the Thames Valley region, where 24 of 60 stations have gone, and Cleveland, which has shut 12. Read More Top UK politics stories St Albans, Herts – a city of over 140,000 people… [Read full story]